Nonsplash and self-draining can



Sept. 29, 1931. s, E NORD 1,825,120

NONSPLASH AND SELF DRAINING CAN Filed July 26. 1930 INVENTOR 5400/7 f.fi oro ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES SWAN NORD, OFSEATTLE, WASHINGTON NoNsrLAsH AND SELF-DRAINING CAN Appl ice tionfiledJuly 26, 1930. Serial No. 470,779.

This invention relates particularly to improvements in cans of thetypecommonly employed by wholesalers of refined naptha products, such asgasoline, kerosene, and other distillates, and lubricating oils inmaking deliveries of the same to retail distributors, and wherein adetachable and hollow top is slidably engageable with the neck of thecan.

This application is designed to set forth an improved construction inthe structure for which Letters Patent of the United States, No.1,718,972 were issued to me for a self-draining oil can on July 2nd,1929.

In transporting naptha d'istillates in trucks in the usual manner insuch cans and for said purpose, these highly inflammable liquids splashout of the cans, notwithstanding thetops provided'for them, and on tothe truck and road of travel so as to constitute a considerablefirehazard and also putting the truck in an unclean and untidycondition. Y

When lubricating oil is likewise transported and delivered,its viscousproperties cause a residue of oil to remain in the can after pouring,which becomes lost to the purchaser. This residue, I have ascertained byactual tests, amounts to substantially one pint of oil in the ordinaryfive gallon can.

The objects of my invention, generally stated,-are, to provide anannular member so associated with the neck of the can and cooperatingwith acircumferential rib. dis posed in the can top which will preventsplashing of liquids from the can and also provide such instrumentalities ha'vingthese capabilities which may be utilized in con nection with acan having a hollow top telescoping within said neck or a like topslidably engageable with the exterior surface of the neck.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a front elevation of a canequipped with the device complete, said can being of the type whereinits top telescopically engages the neck; the can being partly brokenaway and in section.

Fig. 2 is a view of said can in an inverted position, the body of thesame being broken away, and portions of the can,including the top, beingsectionized to more clearly show the manner in which the residueof'liquid may be drained from the body of the can and through saidannular member into the top, said residue, a drained, being indicated inthe top.

Fig. 3 ,is a front elevation of a like can equipped with a modified formof the device,

- said can having a top which slidably engages the' outer. periphery ofthe neck; the body of the can being broken away and portions shown insection.

Referring to the drawings more in de tail, 1 denotes the cylindricalbody of the can, from whichthe corrugations commonly formed in standardcans'of this variety are preferably eliminated, 2 denotes arim, whichfunctions as a base, 3 a bottom portion raised above the base toaccommodate a handle 4, said handle being useful when pouring fromthecan or inverting it, and it also serves to reenforce the bottom portion to prevent the same from sagging through the weight of the fluidsit is designed to support and the continued use to which it will besubjected. Said bodyterminates in a truncated portion 5 which carries aneck 6 and a handle7, all of ordinary construction.

The top of the can is provided with a hol-' low cylindrical body portion8, telescopic'a ly engageable with the neck and having formed therein acircumferential rib 9, the purpose of which will be presently described.The upper section of said top presents mainly a flat surface, havingpreferably a rim l somewhat wider than such a rim ordinarily provided ina can of this type, so that the can will have substantial means forsustaining it when inverted and to afford a foothold convenient indisconnecting the top when the can is thus disposed. Said section isalso provided with a concaved portion 11' which, in connection with aflat handle 12 extending thereover affords a handheld for said top.

The annular member, heretofore adverted to, consists of a cylindricalbody portion 20, carrying at its lower edge an integral and flaredflange 21, and at its'upper edge an inturned guide section 22. Saidmember is mounted within the neck by securing the flange to the innersurface of the portion by welding, or fastening it in any other suitablemanner, and when the member is thus disposed a narrow circumferentialchannel,

denoted as 23, is formed between said member and the neck, and providedwith a pair of oppositely located drainage ports 24 which empty into thecan. This channel is designed to be of a width which will permit thelower body portion of said top to snugly but slidably engage it.

When said top is placed in closed position, as indicated in Fig. 2, saidsection 22 func tions as a guide for the free end of said top, therebyfacilitating its entrance into the channel 23. The top, as thus placed,is frictionally engaged within the channel, said end extending adjacentto the drainageports for the channel and the rib 9 abutting against thesection 22, said rib serving a closure for theupper portion of thechannel.

In transporting said distillates in a can constructed as described, thetop, by Virtue of the extra frictional engagement provided for it bysaid channel, is held more securely in place than it would be by theusual frictional engagement. afiordedby the neck, and is moreeffectively held in place against the jarring of the can and. agitationof the fluid contents incident to such transportation. Further, saidrib, closing the channel as it does, provides positive means forpreventing said contents fromworking its way out from the can throughthe joint between the top and the neck. The splashing and leakage of thedistillates during transportation which commonly occur when cans areused which have the ordinary cylindrical top slidably engaging the neckare thusdone away with.

In utilizing thiscan as a drainage device, it is assumed thatlubricating oil' is being delivered therefrom and that the contents havebeen poured out in the usual manner. The top is then placed in closedposition,

and the can inverted as shown in Fig. 2. The residue of oil remaining inthe can will then drain into the top, as at 30, the annular member 20including the guide section 22 serving to direct it into said top, andthe free end of the body portion of the top, dis posed in and snuglyfitting said channel, preventing leakage of oil from said dramage portsthrough the joint between the top and the neck. After said residue hasbeen drained into the top, the user can readily disconnect the top fromits place in the can by placing a foot on the flange and pulling thebody of the can upwardly and away from the top by the handle 4, whensaid residue may be recovered for the purchas r. The can, including thetop, now having been placed in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, anyresidue of oil remaining on the free end )ortions of the body of the topor in the ciannel 23 will be forced by the top to the bottom of saidchannel, whence it will empty into the body of the can through thedrainage ports 24, and any of said residue remaining in other portionsof the top will, asis obvious, also drain into the body of the can.

In the modified form of the device shown in Fig. 3, the can utilizedtherewith is provided with a neck which preferably is about one-half thelength of the neck first shown, as indicated. This neck is denoted as (3and has its upper edge formed into an inturned guide section,designated: as 22. The other parts of said can are identical inconstruction with the can first described and they are given the samenumerical designations.

In said form an annular member of practically the same construction asthe first annular member. is also associated with the neck, but locatedexteriorly thereof. It is provided with a cylindrical body portionslightly increased in diameter to accommodate it to its location, itslower edge carrying an integral and flared flange 21,.and its upper edgebeing rolled, as at 4:0, to reenforce it and give it a finishedappearance. Said member is secured to the portion 5 by securing theflange to the exterior periphery of said portion by welding, orfastening it in any other appropriate manner. lVhen the member is thusmounted to the can, it is disposed concentrically with the neck and likethe first annular member it forms, in cooperation with the neck, anarrow circumferential channel 23 located between it and the neck, saidchannel being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed drainage ports24 which discharge into the body of the can.

When the top is placed in closed position, the guide section 22 servesto direct'the free end of the body of the top into the channel 23, andsaid end occupies a position within the channel in thesame manner asdescribed relative to the first top, the rib- 9, with which this secondtop is provided, then abutting against the section 22 and therebyserving as a closure for the upper portion of said channel, asheretofore detailed.

In operation, the parts of this modified form of the invention functionto produce a nonsplash and self-draining device in the same way asdescribed herein, except the neck of the can and the guide section 22now serve to direct the drainage into the top when the can is inverted,and the de scription thereof is otherwise equally applicable to it.

The drainage ports shown, as it may be noted in either form of theinvention, are small in size and designedly so, as the residue to bedrained therethrough will be little in quantity at each operation. It isevident, if desired, a single drainage port" may be provided in lieu ofthe pair shown and described for the channel in each of said forms, andthe device of which it is a part will still be operative in this respectand function as intended.

Changes in and modifications of the construction described, other thanthose referred to herein, may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention or sacrificing its advantages, hence it is desired thatI be not confined to the specific structures set forth, except aslimited by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a body portion, a neckportion and a detachable hollow top engageable with the neck portion; anannular member spaced away from the neck portion to provioe acircumferential channel adapted to telescopically receive andfrictionally engage said top, and a closure carried by said top adaptedto engage said channel when said top is disposed in closed position andthereby prevent splashing of liquid contents from said can.

2. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a body portion, a neckportion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageable with the neckportion; a double-walled section for the neck portion adapted totelescopically receive and frictionally engage said top, said sectionhaving a closed bottom portion provided with a drainage portdischargeable directly into said body portion, and a closure for theupper portion of said section carried by said top.

3. In a nonsplash and self-draining can havin a body portion, a neckportion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageable with the neckportion; an annular member secured to the body portion and vide a narrowcircumferential channel adapted to telescopicallyreceive the inner endof said top, said channel being provided with a drainage portdischarging into the body portion, and a circumferential rib carried bysaid top adapted to close said channel when said top is iocated inclosed position. 1

4. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having abody portion,"acylindrical neck portion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageablewiththe neck portion; an annular member disposed concentrically with andspaced away from the neck portion to provide a narrow circular channeladapted to 'frictionally engage the inner end of said top, said channelbeing provided with a drainage port discharging into said body portion,and a circumferential rib carried by said top adapted to serve as aclosure for said channel when said top is in closed position.

5. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a body portion, aneckportion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageable with theneck portion; an annular member located within the neck portion andspaced therefrom to provide a narrow circumferential channel adapted tofriction-ally engage said top, and a circumferential rib carried by thetop adapted to serve as a closure for the channel when the top is inclosed position.

6. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a bodyportion, acylindrical neck portion and a detachable hollow top telescopicallyengageable with the neck portion; an annular member having a cylindricalbody portion located within the neck portion and disposed concentricallytherewith, said cylindrical body portion being spaced away from the neckportion to provide a narrow circumferential channel adapted tofrictionally engage said top, said channel being provided with adrainage port dischargeable into the body portion of the can, and acircumferential rib carried by said top adapted to serve as a closurefor the channel when the top is in closed position.

7. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a body portion, acylindrical neck portion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageablewith the neck portion, an annular member having a cylindrical bodyportion. located exteriorly of the neck portion and disposedconcentrically therewitl'i, said cylindrical body portion being spacedaway from the neck portion to provide a circumferential channel adaptedto acconnnodate and frictionally engage said top, said channel beingprovided with a drainage port, and a circumferential rib carried by saidtop adapted to serve as a closure for said channel when the top islocated in closed position.

8. In a nonsplash and self-draining can having a body portion, a neckportion and a detachable hollow top slidably engageable With the neckportion; an annular member located exteriorly of the neck portion andspaced therefrom to provide a circumferential channel adapted totelescopically receive and frictional-11y engage said too, said channelbeing provided With a drainage port dischargeable into said bodyportion, a guide section for directing the top into said channel, and acircumferential rib carried by said top adapted to bear against theguide section and close said channel When the top is lowered to closed13 position.

SWAN E. NORD.

